On the eve of the first Ashes Test in Perth, Australia captain Steve Smith delivered a rather unexpected press conference, taking a cheeky dig at former England spinner Monty Panesar.
Panesar had recently called on travelling fans and media to barrack Smith over his involvement in the infamous ‘Sandpapergate’ scandal seven years ago, insisting he should feel “guilty” for stepping in as Pat Cummins’ replacement skipper. Smith, however, had a very different kind of response.
Instead of addressing the criticism directly, Smith veered off into a humorous critique of Panesar’s Celebrity Mastermind appearance, which had gone viral for all the wrong reasons.
Smith Targets Panesar’s ‘Celebrity Mastermind’ Appearance
“I’m going to go off topic here. Who in the room has seen Mastermind and Monty Panesar on that? Any of you?” Smith asked, before recalling some of the former England spinner’s most comical gaffes.
“Those of you who have will understand where I’m coming from. If you haven’t, do yourself a favour because it is pretty comical.
Anyone who believes Athens is in Germany, that Oliver Twist is a season of the year, and America is a city. It doesn’t really bother me, those comments. That’s as far as I’ll go with that one.”
Iconic from Steve Smith. pic.twitter.com/jyvPcoSH5L
— CODE Cricket (@codecricketau) November 20, 2025
The playful jab drew laughter from the media, mixing casual humour with a subtle sting. While it may have seemed light-hearted, it was a clear sign that Panesar’s remarks had struck a chord with the Australian skipper, who is crucial to Australia’s Ashes campaign.
Australia Confirms First Test Squad
Away from the Monty Panesar drama, Smith confirmed the Australia XI for the opening Test, which features two 31-year-old debutants.
South Australia seamer Brendan Doggett has been selected over Michael Neser as Josh Hazlewood’s replacement, while Jake Weatherald will step up as opener.
Marnus Labuschagne returns at number three, meaning all-rounder Beau Webster misses out despite a promising start to his international career.
“It was very tricky,” Smith admitted. “I think Beau came into international cricket and lit it up immediately, so it’s a really tough one on him.
He’s the one who misses out, unfortunately. But I think with Marnus, when he’s batting at his best at number three, it makes us a very, very good cricket side. We couldn’t really leave him out. When he’s batting, well, it’s tough to leave him out.”
Full Australia Lineup for First Ashes Test
Australia’s team for the first Ashes Test is: Usman Khawaja, Jake Weatherald, Marnus Labuschagne, Steve Smith (captain), Travis Head, Cameron Green, Alex Carey, Nathan Lyon, Mitchell Starc, Scott Boland, Brendan Doggett.
This lineup shows a balance of experience and fresh talent as Australia aims to retain the urn in the highly anticipated Ashes 2025 series against England.
